Automatically-reversing drain board for clothes wringers



May 1, 1923. mmfiw I E. P. COWLIES AUTOMATICALLY REVERSING DRAIN BOARD FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS Filed June 25. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ma en/az- 1, 1923. E. P. COW/LE5 AUTOMATICALLY REVERSING DRAIN BOARD FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS Fileddune 25, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. all totem it concern:

he it own that T, Emvann Parson EDWD IPATSQIT GUWLW, h SPARTA, MTG-hit.

LY-RE'V SING DRAIN B0 15-.

1) FOR UIILOTlEd Wid h.

hpplication filed Tune 25, 1920. Serial lilo. ddh'dh'l',

llos, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Sparta, Kent County, State oi Michigan, have invented certain new and useiul Improvements in Automatically-Re- I versing Drain Boards for Clothes Wringers,

at which the following is a specification.

v This invention relates to wringers and particularly' to wringers driven by power means in either direction, that is, in which the direction of movement of the pressure rollers may be reversed when desired so that the liquid squeezed out of the cloth garments or other articles passing between the rollers may be caused to fall on either side oifthe rollers. it is common practice to employ with wringers of this type drain-boards, which are usually pivotally supported beneath the rollers in the path of the falling liquid and are adapted to be tilted in eitherdirection, depending upon the direction oi rotation of the rollers to throw the liquidbaclr into the compartment irom which the wet garments were drawn. ln other words,

these drain boards are reversible.

lieretoiore, drain-boards of this character have generally been manually operated, that Figure 1;

is, they have been arranged to be reversed by hand bythe operator of the wringer whenthe direction oi rotation of the rollers is changed, so that they direct the falling hep hid in the proper direction. in certain 1nstances the drain boards have been irictionhll ally connected to the rollers so that as the rollers are reversed the drain board will simult-aneously-be reversed. it has been the experience oi persons operating wringers in which the drain board does not autpmaticall reverse that, either through mistake or orgetiulness, the wringers have often been operated at times with the drain-board.

turned in the wrong direction thereby throwing the suds into the rinse water, the rinse water into the bluing water, or the bluing water into the dry clothes, causing delay, repetition, and add ng to the cost of operation. This mistake 1s often made by even most experienced operators. dlso,-in prior types oi automatically revers ng drain boards. having frictional connection with the rollers; this connectmn becomes worn alter considerable usage and the board fails to reverse properly. Also the presence oi oa ing s ts thoroughly lubricates the sameto away oi portion oi a wringer having chain and sprocket drive, the reversing and water on the rollers and support d ll llh

her of diderent forms and several o'l these forms are disclosed in the following description, when-taken in connection with the iollowing drawings in which:

Figure l is a side view of portion of one form rot power wringer showing the driving i and reversing. gear and the mechanism lor automatically reversing the drain-board Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-'2 oi Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a side view, with parts hrolren to mechanism'however, not being illustrated; 'l igura d is a section on the line ll-d oi Figure is an end view of another term oi wringerhaving the invention incorporated therewith the roller driving mechanism having been omitted.

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Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 oi hig- W ure 5.

Referring particularly to Figure i, it will be seen that the roller 10 is connected to a power shaft 11 through driving and reversing gearing indicated generally at G. Gearing of this type is commonly used on wringing machines and requires no specific description. The clutch member 12 oil this mechanism is adapted to be moved hach and forth along the shaft l3 by me oi an operating handle it in reversin the direction of drive, and the shalt i3 is connected by a coupling 15 to the shaft 16 which supports one end oi the roller 10 and is rid therewith.

The drain-board is illustrated at it and this board is pivotally supported on trunnions 18 journaled in the frame oi the vwringer. it. ,shatt 19 having a squared end 20 engaging a-sqnared recess in the drainhoard and trion, is journaled near one end in the heme oi the wringer and at its llllll Q eases? rotatable with the drain-board and has in- 25 is disposed in the same vertical termediate its ends, a downwardly extending slotted portion 21. Within this slot is positioned a plate 22 pivoted to the member 19 at 23 and having: its upper end which extends from the mouth of the slot, divided into three portions 24 25 and 26 respectively. The arms 24 and 25 are curved in opposite directions, as illustrated clearly in Figure 2. and the central arm 26 extends laterally and upwardly and has pivotally connected thereto at its outer end one end of a rod 27. the other end of this rod being connected to an extension 14 of the operating lever 14. By means of this connecting red. the plate 22 is rocked hack and forth around the pivot 23 as the arm is is moved in reversing the direction of drive of the rollers. in order that the pull of rod 27 exert no eccentric "force on the arm 26 which would tend to cause the plate 22 to hind in the slot, the pivot bolt 23 extended and the outer end of the arm 26 connected by the member 26 to the outer end or" the bolt.

The coupling member 15 is provided with radially extending lugs i5, 15, which follow a constant circular path as the coupling revolves. in the operation oi the device, assuming the lever to he in the position illustrated in Figure 1 and the driven roller 10 to he rotatingin the direction of the arrow, Figures 1 and 2, it will he seen that the arm plane as the rapidly rotating lugs l5 l5 hut out of their reach This position or the various parts will he maintained until the lever is operated to change the direction of the rod. in this case the plate 22 would he drawn to the right, Figure}, until the arm :24- lies directly in the path of the lugs which oegin to rotate in the opposite direction as soon as the clutch member 12 has heen shift ed to the right. During the half revolution of coupling 15 in the new direction one of these lugs will strike the upper of the arm 24 and will rotate the shaft 19 about its axis to reverse the drain. A fiat spring 28 secured to the hoard hears down upon the usual cross rod 29 and serves to complete the motion of reversing, after the center of the spring has been moved across the rod. @ross pieces 30 and 31 attached to the frame limit the movement of the drain-hoard in the usual manner.

In certain types of wring-ere the drain hoard vis easily tipped from side to side and in such cases it is not necessary to have power operated reversing mechanism. In such cases the operating handle may he directly connected by means of rods or levers to the drain-board. Wherever restrainin devices, such as the spring 28 are uti ized, however, It is desirable to-have the tipping of the hoard accompli lied by power mecha nism so that the hen lie 14: may be easily moved.

In the torrn of the invention illustrated in figures 3 and the roller 10' is driven by a sprocket on the outer end of the shaft 123 and the mechanism for reversing the dircc tion of rotation of the sprocket and roller is not illustrated. Any common form of reversing mechanism may he used for this purpose Pivotally mounted at 23 and positioned between the parallel plates of this bracket ll is it plays 2.2 having: ug'iwardly and laterally extending arms and 5135. This plate 529: also has at its lower end a horizontally extending arm-41% which is nor-- really pulled downwardly by its weighted end 43. The movement of the plate 9&3 around pivotal point under the influence of the weight is limited by the solid end 44. of s it" to which the plates ll are rigidly secured. 0n the coupling inenihcr 15 are positioned lugs 15",, 15, which are square one end and pointed at the other,

illustrated, and disposed in different vertical planes with their pointed ends directed towards each other.

Assumin the roller 30' to he rotating in the direction of the arrows. it will he soon that the lug 15 will not contact with the arm 25 but that the lug 15" will contact 1h, each revolution with the lug F24. Inasmuch however as the pointed edg oi} the ll!" slightly offset from the face of the this lug; will simply act as a wed the 22 outw rdly agrains the weight 523, and all.owing;- as soon as the lug has passed by. the direction of rotation or shaft 13 is changed hov'e tating in the opposite fiat rear end to the engaged therehy an, s raft l9, and drairnhoai spring 28 eomple men in either direc and 31 serve as stops movement or the JQuu Figure 5- is illusi ated o, modification designs "for use on. vrin 'ers in which no coupling member such as i ioinhor 15 or 15, of the two forms above described, is employed. In this form also the drain--hoard is pivoted on a cross bar 50 which is located at a considerable distance below it, and rigidly connected to the bracket 51 upon which the drain-board is mounted is frame 22" haviiig upwardly extending arms 24 and 25" ofiset from each other as are arms 24- and 25 of the form illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. Pivotally secured to the gear wheel 52 which is one of the driving gears of the roller, are two pawls 15, and 15', the outer ends of these pawls swinging toward and away from the shaft 13" under the influence of gravity The is reversing :anovel cross bars 30 itingg the extent of as the gear 52 revolves, the pawls being also ofi'aet, as are, arms 24: and 25", so that pawl l5 is in the same transverse vertical plane as arm 25" vertical plane as arm 24". The outward movement of the pawls is limited, as their inclined base portions strike against the opposite sides of the tapered radially extending rib 55.

With the gear 52 rotating in the direction of the arrow the pawl will not engage either arm 24" or arm 25 but the back of pawl 15 will engage and ride over the end of arm 24: at each revolution. Whenever the direction of rotation of the gear 52 is changed however it will be seen that the pawl 15 will engage the arm 24 and throw the drain-board to dotted line position, the tilat spring 28" being instrumental in completin the movement, as in the other forms descri ed,when the direction of rotation is again reversed the pawl 15 will engage arm 25" and return the board to full line position. The cross rod 29", which cooperates with the spring 28" is, as illustrated, p'osi tionedto extend through the central opening in the frame 22 and the usual cross rods 30 and 31 are provided to limit the rotary movement of the drain-board.

Because of the manner of pivoting this board it will be seen that in its reversing movement it is not only oppositely tilted but is also laterally extended for a considerable distance. ln certain torms of wringers it is very desirable to have the drain-board extended in thismanner.

It is obvious that my invention may be illustrated in still other forms and I do not therefore desire to limit the invention to either of the forms described and illustrated, its scope being indicated inthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what and pawl 15 is in the same ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a wringer, a roller adapted to be driven in either direction, a reversible drainboard, means for driving said roller in either direction, said means including a rotatable member having a earn, and means for reversing the drain-board when the direction of drive is changed, said last mentioned means ncluding a member adapted to be engaged by said cam when the direction of drive is changed.

'2. ln a wringer, a roller adapted to be driven in either direction, a reversible drainboard, a rotatable member connected to said roller, two spaced cams on said rotatable member, and members connected to said drain-board and arranged to be engaged by said cams, one of said members being engaged by the corresponding cam to reverse the board, Whenever the driving means is reversed.

3. In a wringer, in combination, a roller, a reversible drain-board having spaced arms, rigidly secured thereto, a rotatable member connected to the roller, and spaced cams mounted on said member, one of said cams being adapted to engage one of said arms Whenever the drive mechanism is reversed, whereby the drain-board is automatically reversed.

4t. lln a wringer, in combination, a roller, a reversible drain-board, spaced arms rigidly connected to said drain-board, mechanism including a rotatable member for driving said roller in either'direction, and two oppositely directed cams pivotally secured to said rotatable member, one of said cams being adapted to engage one of said arms whenever the drive mechanism is reversed, whereby the drain-board is automatically reversed.

lln testimony whereof ll atfix my signature.

EDWARD PAYSUN GQWLES.

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